Means for operating the brakes on vehicles



July 15. 1924. v1,501,600

E. V. HARTFORD MEANS FOR OPERATING THE BRAKES 0;; VEHICLES OriginalFiled April 22, 1912 g smug-s ed 1 gwim MZEIVTOR .ATTORNEK July 15 1924.1,501,600

E. v. HARTFORD MEANS FOR OPERATING THE BRAKES ON VEHICLES Original FiledApril 22, 1912 2 Shoots-Shoot 2 M aft @101? W/ZTTORNEVS Patented July15, 1924.

UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWARD v. HARTFORD, or DEAL, NEW JERSEY; HENRIETTA P.-HAR?1FORD ADMIN-ISTRATRIX or SAID EDWARD v. HARTFORD, DEcEAsED.

MEANS FOR OPERATING THE BRAKES O-N VEHICLES.

Application filed April 22, 1912, Serial No. 692,488. Renewed January14, 1920. Serial No. 351,496.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, EDWARD V. HART- FORD, a citizen of the UnitedStates, residing at Deal, in the county of Monmouth and 5 State of NewJersey, have invented new and useful Improvements in Means for Operatingthe Brakes on Vehicles, of which the. following, taken in connectionwith the accompanying sheets of drawings, forms a complete descriptionthereof.

This invention relates to means foroperating and controlling theapplication of brakes on vehicles or electrically-propelled cars, etc.,and the means embodying my mof means for releasably connecting the powermeans with the braking devices, so that the transmission of power to thelatter may be limited to the extent desired to effect a yielding andslow application of the brakes. This feature of my invention includes anautomatic power-transmission regulator co-operativelyassociated with thepower means and brakes and is manually adjustable to effect a variableregulation of the power so that the desired degree. of

power may be transmitted to and utilized for operating the desirednumber of brakes.

My invention further includes means for automatically and mechanicallycontrolling the energy employed for energizing the power means (the samebeing in the illustrated construction a motor), thus conserving andusing only the necessary amount of energy for operating the brakes.

I will now'des'crlbe the means embodying my invention illustrated in theaccompanying drawings, and will therefore point out the novel featurestherealfter in the ap pended claims, having it'understood that theillustrated and described embodiment is made by way of example and thatchanges in the structural details and arrangements may be made withoutdeparting from the scope and spirit of my invention.

Figure 1 is a plan view of a car truck showing the application of myinvention thereto.

Figure 2 is a detailed view showing a side elevation of the motor andclutch mechanism.

Figure 3 is a sectional view taken on line a-a of Figur 2.

Figure 1 is an end View of the motor illustrating thebrake on the motorarmature and showing the magnetic control.

In detail the numeral 1 indicates the underframe of a car, and 2 thewheels thereof. 3 indicates brake-shoes, and 4 the brakebeam. 5, 6, 7,and :8 are intermediate connecting arms and levers through which the'power is transmitted to operate the brake-shoes on the wheels. Thelever 8, having its pivotal connection at 9, is provided at its free endwith coiled-spring 10, which serves as an elastic yieldingconnectionbetween a cable 11 and said lever.

It will, of course, be readily understood that in applying the inventionto an automobile, one would use a vehicle. having the ordinary rear endwherein the braking effort is applied to a drum carried by the rearwheels which are power driven through the usual shafts and differential.

The power plant for operating the brakeshoes and intermediate devicesconsists of a motor 12, mounted on the bed-plate 13, suitably supportedon the frame 1. The motor-shaft projects from the housing of the motorand has at its end a worm l4. Suitably supported in brackets 15, is acounter-shaft 16, having mounted thereon a Worm-wheel 17 in mesh withthe worm 14, and a pinion 18, in mesh with a gear-wheel 19. The gear 19is splined to a shaft 20, journaled in suitable supporting brackets 21.Mounted on the end of the shaft 20 is a drum 22, around which the vcablell is wound during the application of the brakes.

The worm-wheel 17 is frictioiially coupled to the shaft 16 and ispermitted to rotatefreely thereon under certain conditions which willnow be explained. A frictional clutch mechanism is here employed toeffect the transmission of the desired amount of power from theworm-wheel to the shaft 16 to operate the brake. The clutch mechanismmay comprise a pair of cu shaped plates or disks 23 and 24 dispose onopposite sides of the worm-wheel 17, and having disks of frictionmaterial 25 therebetween. The disk 24 is fast on the shaft 16 and thedisk 23 is splined thereto. Bearing against the disk 23 adjacent to itseripheral edge is a spider-spring 26, retaine and held by a nut 27. Itwill be apparent that by tightening or loosening the nut 27, theadhesive tendency of the clutch may be increased or modified as desired.This mechanism while yieldable is yet inelastic, and it controls theamount of power transmitted by the motor and worm-wheel 17 to the shaft16. It will be apparent that bytightening up the nut 27 the pressure ofthe spiderspring 26 will increase the friction between the clutch partsand diminish the slipping of the worm-wheel 17, so that more power maybe transmitted.

The electrical energizing and controllin means and circuits that I haveillustrated may be conveniently described as follows:

28 indicates a storage battery supplying the necessary power forenergizing the motor 12. 29 indicates a knife-switch provided with fixedcontacts 30, 31, 32, 33, 34, 35, 36, 37, and a movable element 38provided with knife-blades 39 and 40, which are pivoted at 42 and 41.

When the knife-blades have been, connected to contacts 34 and 35, acircuit has been completed to start the motor, the current flowing frombattery 28, through leads or wires 43, 44, 45, through switch-arm 40, tocontact 34, through wire 46, to contact 32, through wire 47, throughresistance-coil 48, through wire 49, to contact 36, through wire 50, tocontact 31, through wire 5]., through the armature of the motor, throughwire 52, through switch 53, through Wire 54, to contact 37, through wire55, through switch-arm 39, to contact 42, through wire 56, to the otherpole of the battery 28.

Should it be desired to increase the speed of the motor, the switch 29is given further movement until the knife-blades thereof .en gage thecontacts 36 and 37, in which case the resistance circuit containing theresist-- ance coil 48 is cut out. In this position of the switch thecircuit is as follows:

From battery 28, through wires 43 and 44, through the field of themotor, through wire 45, to contact 41, through switch-blade 40', tocontact 36, through wire 50, to contact 31, through wire 51, through thearmature of the motor, through wire 52, through switch 53, through lead54, to contact 37, throu 'h switch-blade 39, through wire 56, to the oter pole of the battery 28.

In addition to controlling the application of the brakes by means of thefriction clutch heretofore described, I have provided means forelectrically regulating the winding of the cable 11 on the drum 22, sothat when sufiiclent winding thereof has been performed to effectivelyapply the brakes, the energizing circuit of the motor will beautomatically and mechanically broken and the motor stopped thereby.This means comprises a screw-threaded movable contactpiece 57 mounted onthe screw-threaded end of the shaft 16. This contact-piece has a limitedamount of lateral movement along the shaft 16 and is prevented fromrotating thereon by an arm or bracket-piece 58, which has its free endworking in a slot 59, provided in the contact-piece for itsaccommodation. This connection permits of a toand-fro feed of thecontact-piece in order to co-operate with the switch 53 and break theswitch upon reaching its outward limit of travel, which it does when thedrum 22 has wound the required amount of cable 11 to apply the brakes.Upon the release of the brakes, by reversing the motor it is apparentthat the contact-piece 57 will be fed back along the shaft 16,permitting the switch 53 to close under action of its underspring.

Now in order to reverse the motor to effect the unwinding of the cableand the releasing of the brakes, the switch is thrown over in theopposite direction on to contacts 32 and 33. In this position the flowof current will be as follows:

From the battery 28 through the wires 43 and 44, field of the motor andwire 45 to contact 41, thence through switch-arm 40, contact 33, wire61, contact 30, wires and 52 to the armature of the motor, thencethrough wire 51, contact 31, wire 50, contact 36, wire 49, resistance48, wire 47, contact 32, switch-arm 39, contact 42 and wire 56 to theother pole of the battery 28.

Now in order to increase the reversing speed of the motor, the switch isthrown on to contacts 30 and 31, thus cutting out the resistance-coil48. When the switch has assumed this position the circuit will be asfollows:

From the battery 28 through the wires 43 and 44, field of the motor andwire 45 to contact 41, thence through switch-arm 40, contact 30, wires60 and 52 to the armature of the motor, thence through wire 51, contact31, switch-blade 39, contact 42 and lead 56 to the other pole of thebattery.

It will be noted that moving the switch to these latter positionsreverses the direction of rotation of the motor, even though the switch53 may have been opened because the motor had previously wound the cable11 as far as the stop device permitted.

In order to bring the armature of the motor to rest quickly upon theopening of the battery circuit, I have provided a brake which operateson a balance or fly-wheel 62, which is mounted on the motor-shaft. Thebrake is indicated at 63, and is normally held in contact with thefly-wheel by means of a spring 64. As soon as the motor energizingcircuit is closed by the switch 38, the current flowing through the wire43, energizes the magnet 65, which retracts the brake 63 from engagementwith the flywheel 62. It will be apparent that upon the breaking of thecircuit, the brake 63 will, under the influence of the spring 64, engagethe fly-wheel 62 and immediately bring it to rest.

While I have shown a magnetically-operated brake, I may provide otherspecific means for accomplishing the same result. For instance, I mayuse a brake that is in frictional contact with the fly-wheel at alltimes or may employ different means for operating the brake upon thebreaking of the energizing circuit of the motor.

It will be apparent from the description thus far that when the motor isstarted in the proper direction, the worm 14 rotates and operates theworm-wheel 17, which, in

turn, through its frictional contact with plate 23, revolves shaft 16,gears 18 and 19 and drum 22, thereby winding the cable. As the drum 22takes up the cable 11, lever 8, by reason of its fulcrum at 9,.willapply the brakes 3, through brake-beam 4 and connecting-rods 5, 6, and7. In this opera.- tion the spring 10, interposed between the cable 11and lever 8, acts as an elastic yielding connection, effecting ayielding or giving action as the cable is being wound, thus efl'ectin auniform and slow application of the brake-shoes and bringing the vehicleto a gradual rather than an abrupt stop.

In operating the brakes it will be understood that in the event of anexcess of power being delivered by the motor 12, the clutch mechanism.described will take up or transmit only a suflicient quantity thereofto operate the brakes. Any excess thereof will be spent in rotating theworm-wheel 17 independently of the clutch, since the power transmittedto the wheel exceeds the adhering ability of the clutch causing thelatter to slip in the manner heretofore described.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim as new herein anddesire to secure by Letters Patent is:

1. The combination in a vehicle, of running ear therefor, brake-applyinginstrumenta ities operating thereon, a high-speed motor for operatingsaid instrumentalities, means automatically controlling the amount ofmotive power transmitted to the brakes,

a storage batteryfor energizing said motor, a fly wheel carried by thearmature of said motor, a brake for sald fly wheel, and means forcontrolling the application of said brake to said fly wheel.

2. The combination in a vehicle, of running gear therefor,brake-applying instrumentalities operating thereon, a high-speed motorfor operating said instrumentalities, means automatically controllingthe amount of motive power transmitted to the brakes, a storage batteryfor energizing said motor, a fly wheel carried by the armature of saidmotor, a brake for said fly wheel yieldingly mounted and normally incontact therewith, and an electro-magnet in the battery circuitassociated with said brake and adapted to release the brake connectionupon the energizing of the motor.

3. An electric brake for vehicles, including a high speed electricmotor, a driving shaft connected therewith, a driven shaft, a frictionaldrive mechanism mounted upon the driven shaft, adjustin means for saidfriction mechanism, a cab e winding drum operably associated with thedriven shaft, reduction gearing between the driven shaft and the cablewinding drum; and means associated with the driven shaft operating tode-energize the motor when the brake applying cable has been wound uponthe drum.

4. In a brake-operating mechanism, the combination of a low-voltagehigh-speed electric motor, brake-applying instrumentalities including acable-winding drum, arotatable shaft therefor, gear means interposedbetween said shaft and the motor armature for transmitting rotarymovements to said drum, a clutch mechanism interposed between the motorand the drum, said clutch mechanism including a shaft, a disk having aclutch face, keyed fast to the shaft, 3. worm-wheel mounted upon, butfree to rotate upon said shaft and in engagement with said disk andrelatively movable thereof, a second disk provided with a clutch facemounted upon said shaft in engagement with said worm-wheel, and aspider-shaped spring mounted upon said shaftand having its feet adaptedto contact with said secondmentioned disk whereby the gripping power ofsaid clutch may be regulated.

5. In a mechanism of the class described, the combination with a drivenrotary shaft, of a brake-drum mounted thereon to rotate therewith, meansto appl frictional pressure to said drum, a suita ly mounted electricmotor, power transmission means connecting the motor and said frictionalmeans for applying pressure to the drum, and yieldingly resisting meansin said line of power transmission co-acting with the motor to causesufficient pressure to be applied to the drum without stopping the motorand thereby prevent impairing the same.

6. A mechanism of the' class described includin in combination, a drivenrotary shaft 0 an automobile, a brake-drum mounted thereon to rotatetherewith, means to a ply frictional pressure to said drum, an e ectricmotor suitably mounted on the frame of the automobile, powertransmission means connecting the motor and the said frictional meansfor applying pressure to the drum, a battery on said frame in circuitWith said motor, and a manually operable stepped switch on said frame insaid circuit whereby the electric energy supplied to the motor may beregulated.

In Witness whereof, I have hereunto set my hand in the presence of twosubscribing JNo. A. HARTFORD, WILLIAM P. MONTGOMERY.

